Cover for running boards and the like



June 15, 1937. c. H. GETZ COVER FOR RUNNING BOARDS AND THE LIKE Filed May 10, 1954 1% I J FIIL Patented June 15, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIE Charles H. Getz, East Cleveland, Ohio, assignor to The Ohio Rubber Company, Willoughby, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application May 10, 1934, Serial No. 724,940

8 Claims.

This invention relates to covers for automobile running boards and the like.

It has been customary practice in recent years, in fact almost universal practice, to cover automobile running boards with rubber which is vulcanized directly to the boards. The covering of running boards in this manner has proved to be very satisfactory in so far as permanence of attachment, wearing qualities, and appearance are concerned, but the recent stream-lining of automobiles has involved the use of deeply drawn and curved running boards, greatly increasing the cost of the molds used in vulcanizing the rubber to the running boards and, in some in- 5 stances, making desirable the fastening of the covers to the running boards by mechanical fastening means.

The principal object of the present invention, therefore, is to provide a flexible cover molded from rubber or other suitable composition of a plastic nature and having provision for fastening or both reenforcing and fastening of such a nature that the cover can be made to conform with the irregular shape or curvature of the board and lie flat thereon over its entire area and be securely fastened thereto in a permanent manner.

The above and other objects are attained by the present invention which may be briefly summarized as consisting in certain novel details of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts which will be described in the specification and set forth in the appended claims.

In the accompanying sheet of drawings, where- 35 in I have shown different embodiments of the invention Fig. 1 is a plan view of one form of cover applied to a running board, a portion of the cover being broken away;

9 Fig. 2 is an enlarged transverse sectional view of the same;

' Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary transverse sectional view along the line 33 of Fig. 1, before the cover is applied to the running board proper;

4.5 Fig. 4 is a similar view along the line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing also a portion of the running board and showing the shank portion of the clip twisted to bind the cover to the running board;

Figs. 6, 7, and 8 are enlarged fragmentary views looking at the under side of the cover, Fig. 6 showing the clip anchorage plate of Figs. 1, 2, and 3, andFigs. 7 and 8 showing slight modifications;

Fig. 9 is a bottom view of a portion of the cover showing the fastening means of Fig. l with the cover modified by having a reenforcing met-a1 strip along the front edge thereof;

Fig. 10 is a view similar to Fig. 9 showing a further modification in the respect that metal strips are embedded along all four sides of the rubber;

Fig. 11 is an enlarged fragmentary transverse sectional view along the line ll -li of Fig. 9; and

Fig. 12 is a similar sectional View taken along the same line, but showing the front strip curved in the molding and vulcanizing operation.

Referring now to the drawing and first to Figs. 1 and 2, i5 represents a running board body which is generally formed of sheet metal, and in this instance is curved downwardly at the front and is flanged downwardly at the rear and will generally be flanged downwardly also at its ends. The board may be curved lengthwise to conform with curvatures in the adjacent parts of the automobile body, such as the fenders.

In this instance, the cover extends over substantially the whole area of the running board and is quite flexible throughout so that it can be made to conform to all the curvatures of the board. This cover consists, in this instance, chiefly of a sheet Iii of soft rubber, the upper surface of which may be ribbed or given any desired configuration. While the cover is described as being made of rubber, other materials originally in a plastic state might be used, providing they have the desired flexibility, appearance, and wearing qualities, and otherwise answer the necessary requirements. Soft rubber, however, produces the best results at the present time at least.

This cover is fastened mechanically at the top and curved front of the running board, assuming that the front of the latter is curved downwardly as shown in Fig. 2, and the present invention relates particularly to the details of the means for fastening it to the running board. In this instance, isolated mechanical fasteners are embedded in the rubber and are located wherever the cover is to be fastened to the board, the

the cover and is adapted to extend through a I a slot in the running board l5, the'shank having a lateral extension l'l the upper edge of which is.

' inclined in the manner illustrated in Fig. 4 for 'a purpose to be described. I

Theanchorage plate l8 associated with each clip 11 consists of a small thin stamping which 0 may be of oblong shape as indicated in 1 and as shown in Figs. 6 and 7, or may be otherwise shaped, as, for example, round as indicated in Fig. 8 at M If desired, the edge of the plate may be smooth or more or less serrated, as indicated at [8 in Figs. '7 and 8, or may be otherwise shaped to give the necessary holding power in the rubber. Each anchorage plate is embedded in the rubber at the lower surface thereof, the lower face of the anchorage plate. being flush with the lower side of the rubber. The head ll of the associated clip rests upon the anchorage plate which has an elongated slot through which the shank ll of the clip extends,

the shank having a close fit in the slot. 'It is a feature of the invention that the slots in the anchorage plates extend lengthwise of the cover and that the slots I5 formed in the running board (see the lower part of Fig. 1) also extend lengthwise thereof and that these slots i5 be slightly longer than the corresponding dimenslon of the shanks of the clips. The purpose of this is to compensate for variable shrinkage of the rubber, the amount of which shrinkage depends upon various factors, such as the cornposition, rate of cooling, etc;, the shrinkage occurring in the direction of the grain or fiber of the rubber but not to any extent transversely thereof. In calendering the rubber sheet, the grain or fiber will extend lengthwise thereof and the rubber sheet from which the cover isformed will be cut lengthwise of the calendered sheet. Accordingly, by forming the slots in the anchorage plates and therefore having thejshanks of the clips which protrude from the lower side of the rubber also extend I lengthwise instead of transversely of the cover, and by having the slots in the running board proper extend longitudinally ancl somewhat longer than necessary to accommodate the shanks of the clips, regardless of variations in the shrinkage which occurs 7 lengthwise of the rubber, the cover can be applied to the board, that is to say, the location of the clips and of the slots 15 in the board will 7 always coincide. When the cover is thus ap- 55 plied to the board, it is fastened thereto by twisting the shanks of the clips (see Fig. 5), the inclined edge referred to on top of the extension of each clip having. a camming action on the lower side of the board so as to draw the cover so down tightly against it.

The plate l8 associated with each clip performs two functions, as above stated, namely, it serves as an anchorage for the clip, preventing the head from being torn out of the rubber, and what is equally important, it prevents the rubber from flowing out through the hole which is provided in the bottom of the mold member to ac commodate the shank of the clip during the molding and vulcanizing operation. In practice,

7 70 in preparing for the molding and vulcanizing operation, the clip is forced through the anchor 75 vided with the necessary number of openings" which have a predetermined location to accommodate the clips. Then the unvulcanized rubber sheet is placed down over the clips and anchorage plates, and when the vulcanizing operation is completed the plates of course have their lower faces flush with the lower side of the rubber and the clips are securely anchored in place.

Instead of relying upon the isolated anchorage plates with the clips associated therewith, the latter may be employed with one or more combined reenforcing and anchorage strips. For example, in Fig. 9, which shows the under side of a portion of a cover, I have provided along the front edge of the latter a combined reenforcing and anchorage strip 2| which will extend substantially the full length of the cover, there being inside of the strip 2| a suitable number ofclips associated with the anchorage plates I8 in the manner previously described- The clips will be extended through slots formed in the strip 2| with the clips arranged wherever necessary.

This strip 2|, as well as the anchorage plates [8 with their associated clips, will be molded in the lower part of the rubber cover as before,

with the lower face of the strip 2 I-, as well as the 'lower faces of the plates l8, flush with the lower surface of the rubber.

The rubber cover with the strip 2| and the anchorage plates l8 molded therein may be molded fiat, as indicated in Fig. 11, or, if desired, the front edge portion of the'rubber and the strip 2| may be molded on a curve, as shown in Fig- 12, with the radius ,of curvature correspond ing substantially to the radius of curvature of the corresponding portion of the 'board to which the cover is to be applied. The'molding of the front part of the strip on a curve, if the shape of the running board requires it, can be done without adding materially to the cost of the mold members, provided the curvature is not exces sive. If the running board has a front curved portion of considerable extent, and if the cover is extended down over the latter, the major portion of the curving of the cover will be accomplished by simply flexing the rubber when the cover is appliedto the board, it being a feature of the present invention that though thecover can be fastened securely to the board and will lie smoothly thereon it has a very high degree of V V flexibility throughout its area, particularly'inside the marginal strip or strips if they are employed.

' Instead of using a single strip at the front under side of the cover, as indicated. in Figs. 9

and 11, similar strips may be embedded'in'othe r portions of the cover. An example of this is shown in Fig. 10'wherein there is a strip 2! along the front margin of the cover, end strips 2P along the ends of the cover (one only being shown), and a strip Zl' -arranged along the rear margin of the cover, these strips being embeddedin the rubber as before and having the fastening clips ll extendingtherethrough' and located wherever desired, Inside the strips will be 150- lated anchorage plates l8 with their associated clips, as in the constructions previously de-- scribed. Where the strips overlap each other,

as, for example, at the cornersof the coverlsee Fig. 10), the clips will extend through the overmay be employed with strips arranged otherwi than here shown.

Thus it will be seen that my invention embodying the use of fastening clips associated with small isolated plates having the dual purpose of forming anchorage plates for the fasteners or clips and of preventing rubber being squeezed through the holes provided in the lower mold member for the shanks of the clips, and embodying also flexible strips through which the clips extend, may be employed very effectively for the purpose of fastening the cover to the running board which may be straight or considerably curved in contour, and that these parts may be relied upon alone to fasten the cover to the running board or may be associated with other reenforcing and fastening means such as the strip or strips through which similar clips extend. Furthermore, while my improved flexible cover, as illustrated, is adapted to be applied to a running board, it may have other uses, such, for example, as covers for other forms or kinds of tread members.

It will be observed that each isolated anchorage plate l8 and its associated clip I! act as one piece when the two parts are embedded in the rubber as illustrated and described, and, accordingly, they may be regarded as one member, and

it will be obvious, therefore, that in some instances at least they may be formed in one piece, in which event the anchorage plate might be the head of the clip. In that case it will be necessary that the head be of such size and form as to be securely anchored in the rubber and of sufficient size to prevent'the flow of rubber through the hole provided in the lower mold member during the molding and vulcanizing operation.

I therefore aim in my claims to cover all modifications which do not involve a departure from the spirit and scope of my invention in its broad aspects.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A flexible cover for running boards and the like comprising a sheet of vulcanized rubber having anchorage plates embedded in the lower side thereof substantially flush with the lower side of the rubber sheet, and mechanical fasteners having head portions also molded in the rubber in engagement with the anchorageplatesandhaving shank portions extending through the anchorage plates and projecting downwardly below the lower surface of the rubber.

2. A cover for running boards and the like comprising a layer or sheet of rubber having fastening clips extending through the bottom thereof associated with isolated anchorage plates, the plates being molded in the rubber with the lower sides of the plates substantially flush with the lower side of the rubber sheet, and one or more continuous flexible marginal strips molded in the rubber and substantially flush with the lower side thereof, and fastening clips having portions extending through the anchorage plates and the strips and having head portions embedded in the rubber next to such plates and strips.

3. A cover for running boards and the like comprising a strip of vulcanized rubber having a series of isolated fastening clips embedded therein and provided with flat elongated shanks extending through the lower side of the cover, said shanks extending in the direction of the grain of the rubber.

4. A cover for running boards and the like comprising a strip of vulcanized rubber having a series of isolated anchorage plates embedded in the lower side thereof, and fastening clips extending through slots in the plates, the slots extending lengthwise of the grain of the rubber.

5. A flexible cover for running boards and the like comprising a sheet of vulcanized rubber having a plurality of fastening clips with flat elongated shank portions extending through the lower side thereof, and isolated anchorage plates each embedded in the lower portion of the rubber and having elongated slots for the shanks of the clips, said slots extending in the direction of the grain of the rubber.

6. The combination with a running board or similar tread member, of a rubber cover therefor comprising a sheet of rubber having a plurality of independent or isolated fastening clips embedded therein with flat shanks extending through the lower side thereof in the direction of the grain of the rubber and the tread member having correspondingly shaped slots the length and spacing of which compensate for varying shrinkage of the rubber in the direction of the grain thereof.

7. The combination with a running board or similar tread member, of a rubber cover therefor comprising a sheet of rubber having a plurality of fastening clips with flat shanks extending through the lower side thereof and having isolated anchorage plates through which the shanks of the clips extend, the plates having elongated slots which receive the shanks of the clips and which extend lengthwise of the grain of the rubber, and the tread member having correspondingly shaped slots the length and spacing of which compensate for varying shrinkage of the rubber in the direction of the grain thereof.

8. A cover for a running board having a curved edge comprising a sheet of vulcanized rubber having an edge thereof preformed to a curvature corresponding substantially with the curvature of said curved edge of the running board, an isolated flexible strip embedded in the curved portion of said sheet with the lower surface of the strip substantially fiush with the lower side of the rubber, and fastening clips also embedded in the rubber next to said strip and having shank portions extending through the latter and protruding beyond the under side of the cover.

CHARLES H. GETZ. 

